In today's society, there are various environments in which regular hygienic practices are strongly encouraged, if not required. For example, such environments may include, but are not limited to, healthcare environments, food service environments, nursing home environments, daycare environments, bathroom environments, social environments, any other environment, or any combination thereof. In a medical environment, having effective an effective hygienic practice in place is important in preventing or minimizing the spread of diseases and contaminants. Currently, such practices include, but are not limited to, disinfecting reusable medical equipment, ensuring safe disposal of medical waste, requiring medical personnel to wear protective clothing (e.g. face masks, scrubs, glasses, gloves, etc.), sterilizing medical instruments, requiring individuals to wash their hands and/or body, quarantining certain individuals, other practices, or any combination thereof. In food service environments, workers are often required or encouraged to wash their hands, utilize hair nets, utilize gloves, wear face masks, ensure cleanliness of food preparation areas and equipment, ensure safe disposal of food waste, ensure safe handling of food, participate in other similar practices, or a combination thereof. In bathroom environments and social environments, other hygienic practices are utilized to also ensure cleanliness and prevent the spread of diseases and contaminants.
While current hygiene-related practices are often helpful in reducing the spread of various diseases and contaminants, there is still room for substantial improvement. For example, while medical professionals are typically required to wash their hands before performing a surgical operation or other medical procedure, there is often no way of confirming that a particular medical professional washed their hands for the recommended period of time or even washed his or her hands at all. As another example, food service employees are typically required to wash their hands, wear a hair net, and use gloves prior to touching any food items or machinery, however, with current technologies, it is difficult to ensure that such practices are actually being performed. Unhygienic practices or hygienic practices that are not adhered to can lead to patients being susceptible to bacterial and viral infections, patients being ineffectively treated, food customers being inflicted with food poisoning, unsanitary areas, increased costs, or a myriad of other undesired consequences. As a result, hygiene-related technologies may be enhanced and supplemented so as to provide improved hygiene, prevent the spread of communicable diseases and pathogens, provide improved functionality and features, provide greater hygiene standards, and provide substantial cost savings.